Unhappy Ship's Engineer Repatriated

The New Indian Express

Friday, December 28, 2012

Malayali engineer Arun George Thomas, evacuated from an India-flagged ship off Goa coast after father obtained a court order.

The evacuation was based on a High Court directive following a Habeas Corpus petition filed by Arun’s father who alleged that Arun was being illegally detained in the ship, reports The New Indian Express.

Arun told Thrikkakara police that after he joined the ship in November from Sharjah, he came to know that it was not sea worthy and hence wanted to quit.

But the authorities aboard threatened him and he was forced to continue on the ship, though the company later promised to relieve him in UAE, he was not released and the ship set sail for Singapore on Dec 6.

The ship then broke down 8 nautical miles off the Goa coast. While he went to investigate the matter, he fell down and injured himself. But the authorities failed to provide any first aid, he submitted. Arun was then evacuated in a speed boat on December 25. He was taken to the Goa Medical College Hospital where he received treatment for bruises.